Scientists propose irrigating landfills with microalgae

MOSCOW, June 25 Scientists from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have proposed a technology for producing hydrogen from municipal solid waste using algae. According to them, adding biomass of chlorella microalgae to landfills accelerates waste fermentation to process «landfill» gases into biohydrogen. The result is presented in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) – plastic and metal waste, as well as remains of organic substances (food, fabrics, etc.). They are stored in special landfills, which during operation and for a long time after closure are sources of landfill gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Thanks to the methane that is part of landfill gas, it can be used as a secondary energy resource. Gas enriched with this hydrocarbon can be used to produce another type of unconventional fuel — biohydrogen.

Scientists of St. Petersburg Polytechnic Peter the Great University (SPbPU) have developed a technology for increasing the volume of methane released by landfills. This concept, according to experts, allows you to “kill two birds with one stone”: convert waste into an energy resource and utilize the organic biomass of algae of the genus chlorella.< br />

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Thus, according to Velmozhina, “the production of biogas and biohydrogen can bring additional income, increasing the profitability of the landfill by 15–25 %, and the resulting hydrogen can replace up to 10–15% of consumed fossil fuels in regions using this technology.»
Scientists note that in the future they plan to continue and expand research in the field of biohydrogen production in order to contribute to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy.

The work was carried out by employees of the Higher School of Hydraulic and Energy Construction of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University with the support of the federal program of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation «Priority-2030» of the national project «Science and Universities».